


TOW Janice's Thing

by aem77



Category: Friends (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 10:31:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8887501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aem77/pseuds/aem77
Summary: AU of how Janice's interest in the gang's romantic entanglements might have gotten Chandler and Monica together sooner. Set in season 3 after Chandler and Janice have broken up. Presumes everyone is single.





	

“So I think we should do it,” Phoebe begins with absolutely no segue in their conversation.

Monica twists in her seat where she’s been nestled into Chandler’s side to meet his eyes, which not surprisingly are sparkling with amusement. After a quick grin to her, he jumps in, “Absolutely. Me too.”

“Well of course you’d want to,” Phoebe says dismissively. Chandler’s expression goes from amused to confused in an instant as he finds her gaze once more to mouth an exaggerated but silent, “What?”

Her own barely contained amusement grows as Joey sitting beside her on the other end of the couch of Central Perk chimes in with his own, “I’m in.” Clearly Joey has no idea what he’s committed himself to, but just as obviously he’s misinterpreted Chandler’s assent as a sign that he should. He nods resolutely at the rest of the group with feigned confidence.

“Phoebe,” Ross begins now sitting opposite her at the small café table, “No one has any earthly idea what you are talking about.” He looks for confirmation from the others, but Monica and the rest of them just stare back. Sure they haven’t got a clue either but it would be just like Ross to ruin the fun just a few moments too soon. After a beat though he drops his earlier pompous tone and posture slumping down and adding, “Oh what the heck, I’m in too.”

“Yippee!” Phoebe claps. Then turning to Monica she asks, “What do you say Monica? Are you game?”

Her reply is cut short though by Rachel who appears behind the couch at just that moment to interject, “Game for what? What’s going on?”

“You know,” Phoebe says pausing just long enough for them all to exchange baffled looks that fully express that they indeed do NOT know. “Janice’s thing,” she attempts to clarify.

At this everyone, Monica included, spin around to look at Chandler as though he could somehow throw some light on the mystery.

“Oh. My. God.” Chandler exclaims in his best Janice impersonation, “I have NO idea what you’re talking about.”

“You know, the thing about us all having sex with each other.”

Now, again as one, their eyes all swing back to Phoebe who smiles happily in return completely nonplussed.

“Excuse me?” Monica asks. She’s pretty sure she would have remembered that conversation.

“You know,” Phoebe continues, “when she asked if any us ever messed around…three boys, three girls, hanging out all the time. It got pretty awkward there for awhile and it got me thinking that we should all, you know, just do it. Get it out of the way.”

“Hey, that’s how most of the women I sleep with phrase it too.”

She along with the others grin at Chandler’s self deprecating remark though she thinks she may be the only one among them to realize how uncomfortable the mention of Janice’s name has made him. He’d gone from relaxed and sprawled on the sofa to fidgety and tense in seconds.

“Well, I’ve already slept with Ross,” Rachel begins pragmatically clearly accepting Phoebe’s insane proposition as decided. “So that would just leave Chandler and Joey.”

Monica is about to jump in and put an end to this terrible idea before it can even begin when Rachel’s words seem to get stuck in her head on repeat. _Chandler and Joey. Chandler and Joey._ It had been a really, really long time since her last time. And Joey and the lemonade incident had been the first thing that had come to mind when Janice had made her comments. _Chandler and Joey._ Would it be such a bad thing to use her friend for sex? Joey was… What was Joey? A friend obviously. A good friend. Not someone she could see herself with romantically, but maybe right for a quick fling. She had been very attracted to him that first day they’d met.

She’s so busy with her thoughts that she realizes a bit too late that the others have been busy negotiating partners. “Well Monica’s my sister so that is obviously out. And Rachel and I have already…” Ross crosses and uncrosses his legs physically struggling for the right description of what he and Rachel have done. “Made love.” He finally asserts looking at Rachel apologetically. “So that just leaves Phoebe.”

“What do you mean, ‘just leaves Phoebe’?” Phoebe asks affronted.

“Nothing bad,” Ross deflects. “I just mean Monica, Rachel, and I are one person short obviously and because of mine and Rachel’s past I’m only going to get to sleep with one new person. It seems kinda unfair,” he pouts.

“Okay,” Phoebe concedes, “that IS a little unfair.”

They sit in silence awhile. She imagines that her friends, like her herself, are feeling a strange mix of both relief and disappointment in the end of Phoebe’s strange but intriguing proposition. However, just as Monica begins to search for a new topic of conversation, Phoebe exclaims loudly, “I got it! We’ll all just choose one. We’ll just start with one person. Ross, you’re with me.”

“Okay,” Ross agrees with equal parts fear and excitement.

“Monica,” Phoebe continues all business-like, “who do you want? Chandler or Joey?”

_Chandler or Joey._

“Well not Chandler,” Monica huffs with a laugh. She turns again to share another look with her friend, but rather than seeing her own amusement reflected in his eyes he just looks embarrassed and maybe even kind of hurt.

Before she can start to figure out what Chandler might be feeling, Rachel surprises them all by announcing, “So Chandler’s with me.”

“What?!” Monica asks aghast and only realizing a moment later that her reply was in stereo with Ross supplying an astonished “What?!” of his own.

“While I’m sure that I could provide you with an evening of mediocre lovemaking that would slightly joggle your world, you really don’t need to do that Rach,” Chandler begins.

“Well I want to,” Rachel admits nervously dutifully scratching a patch of the sofa with her thumbnail and looking anywhere but at Chandler.

“Okay, great.” Chandler says miserably.

Monica strains to get a good look at Chandler, trying to read what emotions she might find on his face, but he’s completely moved his body protectively huddling over the arm rest of their shared sofa. It’s only when she feels the cushions shift slightly that she remembers she has bigger problems than what Chandler may be feeling. Finally turning her attention to the other end of the couch she finds Joey giving her his best come-hither stare.

“How you doin’?”


End file.
